Enough For Forever
by thepinkcupcake
Summary: This is the Sequel to 'Spellbound Heart'. Please read that first, otherwise this story will make no sense at all. Picking up where we left off last time - The war is over and Edward is keen to start his happy ever after with his Veela. Regular updates. E/B Rated M for Lemons and language. Please read, review and enjoy!
1. Chapter 1

**AN: Welcome back! This is the sequel to 'Spellbound Heart'. Please read that first or this story will make no sense at all! My story has a HEA guaranteed, but it will be quite a journey to get there. You may hate certain characters in some chapters - stick with them... it's just a learning curve! **

**Please review and let me know what you think, good or bad... I welcome all responses! **

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It had been just three hours since Voldemort had been defeated, but Bella had already been discharged from the infirmary. Between the health potion and her Veela immune system, she had completely recovered already.

"Where is everyone, Edward?" Bella asked as we walked out of the infirmary. The whole school was deserted – the only people who still remained were the Order, the staff and our families. Dumbledore had ordered that everyone else go home and rest…. Or at least that's what he told everyone.

In reality, Dumbledore had wanted to keep the Daily Prophet away from the castle. It seemed that every magical reporter in the world had apparated to Hogsmede, determined to get a glimpse of Harry. They didn't care that he had fought for his life all night. They didn't care that he had lost friends and family in the battle. They didn't care that he had _died_ for us last night…. They just wanted an interview.

So, he kicked almost everyone out of the castle, and sealed the doors. No one was aloud in, no one was allowed out.

"They're in the great hall, love," I replied. "Come on – Dumbledore is already addressing the order."

I tugged her hand and pulled her into the hall. I grimaced as I realised that they were arguing amongst themselves;

"So what you're saying is that you _knew_ that Harry was a Horcrux... but you didn't think we deserved to know?" Sirius seethed. "You took him into that forest last night and marched him to his _death, _Albus."

"I could not risk Voldemort discovering that Harry was a Horcrux. More to the point, Harry is not dead. I have it on excellent authority that he is currently sleeping peacefully in his old dormitory," Albus replied.

I led Bella over to one of the benches and sat down next to Severus. He smiled when he saw us coming over;

"Bella, are you feeling better?" He smiled. I grinned at my new friend, relieved he was okay. I hadn't seen him much during the battle.

"I'm fine now, Severus. How long have they been arguing?" She gestured to the Order.

"Oh at least half and hour, now." He chuckled. Bella sighed and shook her head at the stubborn men. They stopped arguing when the doors opened once more and Harry strolled in, with Ron and Hermione in tow.

"Harry, my boy!" Dumbledore beamed. "Are you rested, now?" Harry nodded and sat down next to William.

"What are you all yelling about?" He asked.

"Some of us were just questioning Dumbledore's methods last night..." Sirius trailed off. Harry looked at his god-father in exasperation.

"Does it really matter how the war ended? The most important thing is that it _has_ ended. Permanently. If I had known that you were all in here scratching each others eyes out, I would have stayed in bed!" He fumed. "I thought that you would be making plans to rebuild the castle or to hold a memorial service – not sitting here moaning at each other."

Everyone sat back in their seats, looking appropriately chastised.

"You are quite right, Harry – forgive us. A memorial service _is_ being planned, but the Ministry are organising it. As for the castle, the necessary repairs will be carried out over the next few weeks. I have plans to reopen our doors by the end of the month," he smiled.

"So _soon..." _Bella breathed. Dumbledore gazed at Bella with the same look of admiration that he appraised Harry with.

"Dumbledore is right, Bells," Fred grinned. "You'll need something to fill your time now that you're not attacking giant Horcrux snakes or vaporising death eaters."

"Vaporising? What are you talking about?" Sirius asked. Bella groaned and buried her face into my neck as George retold the story.

"Harry got into a bit of a sticky situation last night – one of the death eaters shot a killing curse at him." George explained.

"Oh good heavens," Molly panicked.

"It's alright, mum. Edward did his super speedy thing and pulled him out of the way – but unfortunately for the death eater, Bella saw the whole thing and got a little cross..." Fred stated.

"A little _cross_?" Bill laughed. "She incinerated him! One minute he was there, the next he was dust. The man just spontaneously combusted!"

"He tried to kill my family," she growled in her own defence. I pulled her into my lap and gripped onto her.

"Damn straight, Belly-boo," Emmett grinned. "You did the same thing I would have done if it had been my Rosie."

The meeting filtered off after that. Everyone just wanted to go home and forget all about that terrible night.

"Harry? Are you coming home or are you going to the burrow?" Bella asked as we walked to the fireplace in Dumbledore's office. Harry eyebrows disappeared into his hairline in shock.

"You were serious, then? About me coming to live with you and your family?" He asked.

"Merlin, Harry - of course I was! They're not _my_ family, they're _our _family. Besides, mum has already set up your room. As far as I'm aware, she gave you the one with the balcony that you love so much..."

Bella didn't get any further through her sentence before he pulled my Bella into an almighty hug.

"You're an incredible sister, Bella... never forget that." No one would have doubted the sincerity in his voice. We walked into Dumbledore's office just as Ron stepped into the fireplace.

"I'll see you at the Burrow, Harry?" He confirmed, but Harry shook his head, smiling.

"Actually, Ron – I'm going _home _for a few days..." his voice broke as he said 'home', as though the concept were strange to him. Ron seemed just as surprised and actually came out of the fireplace to clap his friend on the back.

"Nice one, mate!" He crowed. "Send me an owl once you're settled in and we'll celebrate, okay?"

It took a while, but eventually we all had our turn on the Floo Network. I wasn't at all surprised to see Andromeda fussing over everyone who stepped out of the fireplace at Black Manor – she hadn't joined the battle last night.

I took Bella straight upstairs to our room and ran us a bath in the giant tub. My little witch had grown very quiet in the last ten minutes – I think that now that the adrenaline had passed, reality was sinking in for my love.

As soon as the bath was full, I undressed us both and carried her into the hot water – sitting her down on top of my lap. I didn't push her to talk to me – I knew my little one well enough to know that her mind was just trying to process everything. As soon as she needed me, she would come to me.

Instead of waiting for her to speak, I washed her beautiful hair, clearing all of the dust and debris that marred it.

"What are we going to do about Teddy, Edward," she whispered. My entire frame stiffened at the mention of his name. Devastation tore through me at the thought of him finding out that his parents were _gone._

"Does he know, yet?" I asked. Bella shook her head as the first few tears fell from her eyes.

"He was staying with Ted Tonks - Dora's father. Ted knows, but I don't know if he has told Teddy yet." She cried, softly.

"I suppose we should wait and see what Dora and Remus wrote in their Will, love. We may not have a choice in this – if they wanted him to be with Ted Tonks, then we wont be able to fight it." I murmured.

"I just can't believe they're _gone_, Edward. Dora was an _Auror – _she was a highly skilled witch... and Remus was a _werewolf_. He had supernatural strength... it just doesn't make sense." She whispered.

"I know, love. From what I understand, Remus was attacked by one of the acromantula. He died saving the life of one of the third year students who snuck back into the school. Dora saw the whole thing and just simply stopped fighting the wizard she was duelling. She _wanted_ this, Bella. She _chose_ to be with Remus." I murmured as I stroked her hair.

"We're his god-parents, Edward... what if Dora wanted us to be his guardians?" Bella asked.

"Then we step up and do it," I insisted. "If Teddy needs us, we'll be there. We'll do whatever our nephew needs – I _swear_ it, Bella." I vowed.

Once the water ran cold, which did take very long with my perpetually icy skin, I dried and dressed my mate before slipping her into our bed. She was just beginning to doze when Sirius approached our bedroom door.

"Come in, Sirius," I murmured, quietly. He slipped into the room in silence, not taking his eyes off his daughter, who had curled her head into my chest as she slept.

"I brought this for her, Edward. It's a sleeping draught. Severus dropped it off earlier – apparently he has tweaked it a bit to ensure that her sleep is _dreamless. _I doubt that anything in her dreams will be pleasant for the next few months," he whispered.

"Thank you, Sirius." I murmured. His eyes finally left Bella and he appraised me for a long moment.

"How are you holding up, son?"

"Honestly, I don't think the last 24 hours have sunk in, yet. I know I should be happy that the war is over, but all I can think about is Teddy..."

"Yes, I heard you and Bella talking about that a little while ago. I hope you don't mind, but I took the liberty of contacting Ted Tonks. He is going to be here tomorrow with Teddy to hear the reading of Remus and Dora's last will and testament."

"We'll be there," I hummed. "Right now I'm going to concentrate on looking after Bella. As soon as she has slept, I'll need to feed her something. It's been so long since she's eaten that she has lost her supernatural speed and strength. She's a weak as a kitten right now. I'll worry about tomorrow, tomorrow."

"Perhaps you should come downstairs and have some blood, Edward. Your eyes are coal-black. We can be up here in less than a second if she wakes up." He urged. The moment he suggested blood, my throat flared up painfully and I grimaced. I eased Bella off of my chest and followed Sirius down the stairs to the kitchen where my family were sitting.

"Are you alright, Edward?" William asked, kindly. "You look awful, son."

"He needs blood," Sirius interjected as he walked into the pantry. He came back out with a goblet of Veela blood. I raised my eyebrow in confusion.

"Bella donated this for you a few days ago, son. She wanted to have a constant supply on standby in case you were injured during the battle," he explained. My heart swelled with love for my little Veela. Even with everything else she had going on, she made sure that I was taken care of.

"Edward, you really don't need to drink that," Carlisle chastised. "There are plenty of animals in the grounds."

"Don't start, Carlisle. This is a gift from my mate – I have no intention of squandering it. You need to accept my choice in diet and move on." I quipped.

"So, no one _died_ for any of the blood in that pantry, Sirius?" Jasper confirmed.

"No – of course not. We're not animals, Jasper. We respect human life just as much as you do. When there is no human donor blood available, we hunt animals just as you do." Sirius answered, looking quite affronted.

"May I have some, too?" Jasper asked, quietly. He kept his eyes firmly on the table as he spoke, as though he were ashamed. I could hear from his thoughts that he _wasn't _embarrassed... he just knew that Carlisle was about to stick his oar in again.

"Jasper – not you, too. Think of how well you have done over the last fifty years. Don't spoil it now." He pleaded.

"Carlisle, please understand that your choice in diet makes us all miserable. I went along with it because I didn't want to _kill_ anyone, but I can't do it any more – not when there is donor blood available."

"You're being ridiculous," Carlisle muttered, stubbornly.

"No. I'm not. You don't understand what it feels like. I'm an _empath, _Carlisle. I don't just feel my own thirst... I feel _all _ of your thirsts. I can't take it any more... I'm in _agony." _Jasper wheezed.

"Sirius, would you multiply Bella's blood for Jazz, please?" I asked. Sirius whipped out his wand and conjured another goblet, which slowly filled with Bella's blood as he multiplied and siphoned it from my own glass.

"Here you are Jasper," he offered. Jasper took the glass far more hesitantly than I did. I raised it to my lips and drained the entire thing with no guilt at all. Jasper, however, was struggling. Though he didn't want to admit it, Carlisle's words had stung him. He was questioning his decision altogether.

"Jazz, there's no need for you to be in pain unnecessarily," I reasoned. He threw a shy smile at me and raised the glass to his lips.

"To Bella's good health," he murmured in thanks. His reaction to the taste was hilarious. Again and again, Sirius refilled the glass for him. Once he had his fill, he placed the glass back on the table and pushed it away, slowly.

"Jazzy?" Alice asked. "Are you okay, honey?"

Jasper raised his eyes and stared at his wife before breaking out into the largest smile I had ever seen on his face.

"I feel _amazing_, darlin. I'm not _thirsty_ any more – for the first time in _two hundred_ years, my throat doesn't burn at all!" He crowed. Carlisle scoffed, but I ignored him.

His thoughts were unbelievably angry. He felt as though Sirius was corrupting his coven and turning us into monsters. I vowed that I would set aside some time today to talk to my father – to reassure him. We weren't being corrupted and I wasn't _leaving_ him. I was just going my own way from now on.

He was still my father and I still loved him – but he had to understand that I didn't want to be controlled any more. Bella was my life, now and I wanted to be happy _my_ way – not Carlisle's. For so long I had been unhappy... but not any more. Things were going to change around here.

_This was the start of my forever..._


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: So Carlisle is probably going to drive you mad for a couple more chapters…. Stick with him - I just think he needs a bit of character development. Anyway, enjoy… and I'll see you at the bottom! **

I escaped back to my room as soon as was socially acceptable. It wasn't that I didn't want to spend time with my family... I just needed to be near Bella. Dora and Remus were loved by each of us, but Bella had considered Dora to be a _sister. _She more than anyone would take their loss the hardest.

My little love roused from her sleep and rubbed her eyes, tiredly;

"Morning," she mumbled. I sighed when I saw how tired she still looked.

"Good morning, love. I was just about to wake you," I informed her. "We need to be downstairs, soon. Your father wanted to talk to you... and Ted Tonks will be here tonight. He will be bringing his lawyer, love... they need to read Dora's will..."

Bella's eyes filled with tears but she brushed them away before they could fall.

"Of course," she whispered. "Will Teddy be here, too?" I nodded and looked away from her. The pain on her face was unendurable. As her mate, it was my job to make sure that she never felt this wretched – but this was something that wasn't in my control_. _I did the only thing I could do – I took care of my love.

I helped her over to the closet, where she slipped on a pair of joggers and one of my tee's, before carrying her down to the kitchen. She hadn't eaten in so long that she literally didn't have the strength to walk for herself. The family were already in a deep discussion when we walked into the room and took a seat at the table;

"You're going into _work?" _Emmett asked. "You fought and won a _war_ yesterday, Sirius. Will the Ministry not let you have a day off? He scoffed, disbelievingly.

"Emmett, son – Voldemort may be dead, but his death eaters are _not. _The moment their master crumpled in a heap on the floor, they all fled. As the Head of the Auror office, it's my job to find them."

"Do you need any help?" Harry asked. Sirius blanched and shook his head, frantically.

"From _you_? Merlin, no. You're not going within ten miles of the place. We'll be _mobbed. _No, son – you go and see your Ginny." Sirius smiled. The relief on Harry's face was obvious. I couldn't say that I blamed him.

"Use the Floo network, Harry. There are reporters camped outside Black manor. I can hear their minds from here," I offered.

"Cheers, Edward." He clapped me on the back and left the room, closing the door behind him.

"Right – I need to be off," Sirius stated. "Bella, if you are feeling up to it, Dumbledore wishes to have a chat with you at Hogwarts, little one."

Bella nodded – her mouth far too full of food to safely attempt speech. I chuckled at her as she blushed in embarrassment. Once she finished her extremely large breakfast, she stood and cleared her plate before turning back to me.

"I'm going to pop to Hogwarts and see what Dumbledore wants," she murmured as she kissed my neck. I swallowed a groan and willed my dick to behave. Today was _not_ the day to seduce my mate... not after everything she had just been through.

"I shouldn't be too long," she apologised.

"Take your time, little love. I'll be waiting for you when you get home." I whispered.

By two in the afternoon, I was regretting that statement. I was so used to being busy with the Order, or being on guard duty at Hogwarts, that I found myself to be immensely bored. I didn't want to go to Hogwarts to find Bella. I knew that she wanted some time alone, otherwise she would have invited me – we went everywhere together, after all.

My family had all gone hunting and Dro was busy preparing dinner. I felt sorry for the woman – all she ever seemed to do was _cook._ I rubbed my hand subconsciously over my heart as a ripple of pain shot through me. I still wasn't able to tolerate physical distance from Bella. I needed a distraction...

I glanced up at the family portrait above the fire and grinned. I knew _exactly _where I was going to go. I ran upstairs and changed into a smart suit, grabbed my key card and stepped into the fireplace in our bedroom. Still with a massive grin on my face, I took the handful of Floo powder, threw it into the flames and yelled;

"Ministry of Magic." I spun through grate after grate and grimaced when I realised that Bella wouldn't be here to siphon off the grime at the other end. I made a conscious effort to keep myself clean as I travelled after that.

As soon as my feet touched the ground, I stepped out of the fire and stopped in my tracks.

The Ministry of Magic was _enormous! _Row after row of fireplaces flashed as all manner of magical creatures came and went.

"Move along, son."

"Coming through, mate."

The crowds behind me pulled me from my thoughts and reminded me that I was currently blocking one of the fires. I apologised and moved out of the way, following the crowds into a massive hall. Even though we were underground, many of the windows showed _sunshine_ through them. I shook my head – I don't think I'll ever be completely used to magic.

After checking the giant plaque on the wall, I worked out where I needed to go and stepped into one of the lifts. No one but me seemed surprised that the lift went backwards instead of down. The journey would have taken half the time if the occupants in the lift went about their business instead of stopping everyone they knew to shake hands and congratulate themselves on the death of Voldemort. Was there a separate battle that I didn't know about? Because I was certain that _none_ of these people fought at Hogwarts with us.

'_Department of Magical Law Enforcement.'_

The soothing voice pulled me out of my internal monologue and I clambered out of the lift, desperately trying to avoid the man next to me, who was carrying a baby dragon in a cage. It would have been cute if it weren't coughing flames everywhere.

The entire Ministry had been a hive of activity – but not this department. My advanced hearing informed me that all sixty seven members were currently in a meeting with Sirius. He was speaking rapidly – trying to organise the entire department. I walked over to the door and hesitated. I didn't want to interrupt...

Curiosity won out and I turned the handle before stepping inside. Sirius didn't pause his speech as I entered but he knew that I was here as he waved me over without looking at me.

"... was last seen in Oxford at 3:42 this morning, though he could be anywhere by now so send a team before we lose him completely. Edward? Is everything alright?" Sirius asked me. All 68 heads turned in my direction as I walked over to Sirius.

"Everything is fine – I just wondered if you could use an extra pair of hands," I explained.

"Most definitely," he agreed before turning back to his staff. "Some of you have already met him, but for those of you have haven't had the pleasure, this is my daughters mate, Edward."

"Your little Bella is _mated, _Sirius?" One of the witches asked. "Goodness, where does the time go?"

"Yes – for nearly a year, now. She'll be nineteen, soon." He answered.

"What are his stats?" One of the wizards asked. _Stats?_

"Vampire – full breed. Member of the Order of the Phoenix. He fought at Hogwarts – he's gifted, too. Mind reader," Mad-eye growled. I chuckled as every mind in the room closed, immediately.

"A mind reader?" One of the wizards confirmed. "Sirius – if the boy would sit in on the interviews, he may be able to find out the location of other death eaters..."

Sirius laughed, "Zerbian, you may want to lay off the 'son' comments, Edward is old enough to be your grandfather. But, yes –that is a good idea. Edward? Would you be so kind?"

"Of course. Just tell me where to go," I smiled.

"Brilliant, follow me. I want the black cloaks with me, everyone else – you know what you're doing." Sirius instructed. I followed him out of the room with at least twenty wizards trailing after us.

"Black cloaks?" I asked.

"Elite Aurors. Those that wear a black cloak in this department have proven their worth many times. It is a privilege, but it is also very dangerous. I need my strongest agents down in the courtroom. We're bringing in all manner of creatures for interview – not all of them are human. I need my best guards." He explained.

We approached a set of heavily guarded, large mahogany doors.

"Sir?" One of the men asked.

"He's fine gentleman, this is my son, Edward. He has a key card. It's all documented in the files upstairs," Sirius smiled. The guards nodded and resumed their protection of the door.

"Come inside, Edward and take a seat at the front." Sirius instructed. I walked into the room, which was set up like a large court and took a seat at the desk next to Sirius.

"Right, they are about to bring in the first captured death eater. We need any information you can gain from his mind, Edward. Anything suspicious, let me know. It may seem inconsequential to you, but it could be _vital _to us."

"Of course." The rest of the 'black cloaks' took seats in a circle around the dock. Each of them had their wands at the ready. The doors opened once more and a masked wizard was led inside and secured, firmly, to a chair. His face mask was removed and the wizard grimaced as he squinted at us. The light was obviously hurting his eyes... just how long had Sirius had this man bagged and gagged?

"Gabriel Emeric," Sirius began. "We will keep this short, mainly because I don't want to look at you any longer than I have to, but by magical law, I must offer you the chance lower your sentence. Do you know the location of any other Death Eaters? This will be your one and only chance to redeem yourself, so you may want to think this through carefully," Sirius informed him.

I threw myself into Gabriel's mind – which was _full_ of information. In less than three seconds, I had achieved more than Sirius would ever have got out of him. He proved my point when he spat on the floor in front of him.

"Fuck off, leech," he spat. Sirius seemed unconcerned by the mans behaviour and shrugged.

"As you wish. Gentlemen, return the suspect to his cell." The man was taken from the room and the second the door was closed, the black cloaks turned to me;

"Randolph Grey – a companion and fellow death eater is waiting for Gabriel in Surrey. They planned to run to France together." I told them. Sirius pulled his wand from his robes and cast a patronus. He relayed my message and sent the silvery dog from the room to deliver it's message to the Aurors upstairs.

The afternoon went on like this for hours. The black cloaks had brought in 27 suspects so far and I had managed to obtain information from every single one of them. They had just led another from the room and I slumped back in my chair once he was gone. The pain in my chest flared uncomfortably and I knew that I wouldn't be able to stay much longer – I needed to get to my Bella. Fast.

Sirius took one look at me and grimaced. "That's enough for today, gentlemen. We'll let the night shift take over from here. Go home, see your loved ones and be here bright and early."

The blacks cloaks complied, immediately and left the room. The world began to spin and I gripped onto the table for support. Sirius rushed to my side and placed his hands on my shoulders, holding me in place.

"Edward, I'm sorry. I should have been paying closer attention. Just how much pain are you in?"

That was the last thing I heard before I fell to the floor in agony and everything went black.


	3. Chapter 3

**AN: Okay, this is where the mating connection is really going to kick in. I've dedicated the entire chapter to it, as it is going to need a thorough explanation. This whole episode is going to shape their future, entirely. Hope you enjoy! Reviews are love! See you at the bottom…**

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'_They'll be okay, Carlisle.'_

'_We should have kept an eye on them. We should have warned them.'_

'_It's not supposed to happen yet. They should have had more time… We couldn't have known, Dro.'_

'_Why aren't they waking up?'_

'_Put them closer together, Alice. Skin to skin contact.'_

The vague buzzing of voices grew clearer and I wondered why I couldn't remember how I got here. I started to panic when my eyes wouldn't open. I tired to force my hand to my face but it wouldn't move. I was absolutely frozen in place.

"Er, Sirius? His emotions just spiked… he's terrified," Jasper murmured.

"Edward, son? It's Sirius – I know that you're scared but you need to calm down. Everything is okay, I promise. Just relax – you'll be able to move in a few moments."

I allowed my stiff posture to loosen up at his words. If there were anything seriously wrong, Jasper wouldn't be so calm… nor would Sirius. I wriggled my fingers experimentally and huffed a sigh of relief when they moved.

"That's it, son. Just stay calm – you'll be up and about in a minute, I promise."

"Why isn't Bella moving yet?" Esme worried. _Bella?_ _What was wrong with my Bella? _Panic washed through me and the unbearable pain in my chest threatened to tear me open completely. A _scream_ ripped through my clenched teeth and I begged that someone would just end me – nothing was worth this agony.

"Edward? She's _fine_, son. Bella is fine. She's right next to you – she's just sleeping. You _have_ to calm down."

As soon as his words met my ears, the pain in my chest lessened to a dull ache. It wasn't pleasant, but it was easily manageable. It felt exactly like the pain I endured when I was apart from Bella. _Bella._

Something deep inside the confines of my brain _knew_ that she was the key to this. All I had to do was get to her – _hold _her.. and all of this would stop. I forced my eyes to open against their will and scanned the room frantically for my little love.

"She's here, Edward. Look – she's right next to you," Dro whispered.

My head turned, unwillingly to the side. Bella was sleeping, fully dressed, on the bed next to me. Both of our families had piled into our room and were staring at us as though me may break out into song and dance at any moment.

"What's happening to me?" I whispered.

"Your mating connection, Edward. You were too far apart from Bella for too long," William whispered.

"I don't understand," I admitted, quietly. Sirius opened his mouth to explain more, quickly closed it again when Bella opened her eyes.

"Edward?" She murmured. "What happened?"

"Can you two move yet?" William asked. Bella shook her head and looked terrified. The sight of her afraid gave me enough strength to sit up and pull her into my arms. I groaned at the staggering effort it took to do such a simple maneuver. The moment she was in my arms, though, I felt my strength returning to me slowly.

"Okay, that's far enough, you two. Don't try to get up. Edward? I'm going to move you and Bella into an upright position – _don't _let go of her. Do you understand?" William asked. I nodded my head obediently as he grasped both of us. In one fluid movement, we were sat up against the headboard with the covers tucked around us.

"What's going on?" I asked. Everyone in the room looked saddened as they observed us.

"I would like to know that myself," Carlisle huffed.

Sirius sighed and gestured for his father to take over. William stepped forward and sat on the edge of our bed. Every single eye in the room was honed in on him.

"Since you came to stay with us, Edward, you have heard us use the phrase 'mating connection' many times. We explained it to you…. in very little detail. We didn't expose you to the full extent of it as we didn't want you to worry…" he trailed off.

"Worry about what?" I asked in confusion. I was going to ask him to stop talking in riddles and just tell me what was happening, but Bella diverted my attention by climbing into my lap. She took my face into both of her hands and just _stared_ at me.

_She is so fucking beautiful…._

Her breathing grew louder – and much stronger, as though she were trying to _force_ the breath from her body. She leant in closer to my neck and started rubbing her face onto mine – touching me anywhere she could reach. She noticed me purring under her ministrations and doubled her efforts. I chuckled at my silly, affectionate witch.

"What are you doing, little love?" I whispered into her ear. My grin only spread further when I felt her peppering little licks all over my neck.

"Putting my scent on you," she breathed.

"Why, sweetheart?"

"Because you're _mine." _

Something in her tone triggered a primal response from me. I flipped her onto her back and lay on top of her, pinning her hands above her head. She was still panting – breathing her scent into my hair with each breath. My purr quickly turned into a growl when I realized that she was _marking_ me.

_Why had I never thought of this before? I could have marked her months ago…._

I mimicked her actions, frantically - pushing my scent onto every available inch of skin. I started at her hairline and slowly moved down her exposed arms. I pulled back when I had reached her fingertips for the third time. I inhaled our combined scent, satisfied that neither of us were distinguishable as a single entity.

I pulled my little love back onto my lap and tucked her head securely underneath my chin. She was safe in there.

"Edward?" My head snapped up at the voice in front of me. Good grief – I had forgotten that they were standing there.

"Oops," Bella chuckled. Her soft little lips sent shivers of pleasure down my spine as they brushed tantalisingly against my neck. I leant down to kiss her when Emmett suddenly groaned.

"Oh not again! Will someone tell me what the fuck is wrong with them? They're like a bad fucking hallmark card!" He groaned.

"Edward, son. I know it's hard, but you need to focus on my voice for a while, okay?" William asked.

"Of course," I said indignantly.

"Dude, are you sure? It's not the first time we've asked you, bro..." Emmett insisted.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that you and Bella have been sucking on each others skin for _three_ hours, now. Sirius and William wont explain what's happening until you are listening, so will you _please_ stop with the kissy kissy for five fucking minutes?" Emmett yelled.

"Three hours?" I whispered in disbelief. "It was only a few minutes..." I trailed off.

"No, son – you woke up three hours ago. You and Bella have been – _busy – _for all that time." William murmured. Shock was the only thing I could feel. It honestly felt as though Bella and I had been kissing for a few minutes at most.

"What's happening to us?" I asked. Fear for my mate had overridden any other desire I had, previously.

"As I was saying earlier, Edward. What you are currently going through is a symptom of being mated to a Veela. I should begin by telling you that every mated couple is different. Each connection can withstand different levels of stress, but the main rule is still the same. If you push a mated connection to it's limit, it will snap, causing both parties to fall into coma state." William murmured. He took a seat on the armchair next to the bed before continuing.

"I, myself am mated to Bella's grandmother. I love her very much, but our connection is weak. I do not suffer separation pains and I have _never_ fallen into a coma like you and Bella just did. I can be apart from Asheya for many weeks and while I _miss_ her, I do not suffer physical symptoms." He concluded.

Sirius stepped forward and knelt next to his father;

"Andromeda and myself can be apart for twenty seven days before we suffer separation pains. We have tested it many times and it's always the same result – twenty seven days..." He trailed off.

"Edward, when you first came here, Sirius and I were concerned. We had never heard of a mated couple who suffered pain _instantly_ on separation. The moment you and Bella part, you both feel the familiar ripping sensation in your chest. We researched it, but found nothing. We found absolutely no documentation to explain why it happens so quickly for you... so we did the only thing we could. We kept you together as often as possible." Sirius explained.

"So that's your grand plan is it?" Carlisle sneered. "Keep them together and hope for the best?"

"What would you have me do Carlisle? No one could have predicted this – the answer isn't written down anywhere. We're going on absolute instinct, here." Sirius sighed.

"If you had kept your daughter away from my son, none of this would have happened! He wouldn't have to worry about mating connections or separation pains... he wouldn't be drinking _veela_ blood!" He spat. "The whole thing is an abomination!"

Sirius and William both sank into crouches as my girl gasped at the vitriol that was spewing for Carlisle's mouth. I roared at him and tucked my little love safely behind my back;

"See what I mean? You've ruined my boy! He's positively _feral!" _Carlisle yelled.

"_Get. Out. Now."_ I hissed. "Get out of this house before I come over there, Carlisle. If my mate is such an _abomination_, you'll have no problem leaving, will you?"

Carlisle's mouth dropped in shock before he stood to his fullest height and composed himself. He reached into his wallet and pulled out his key card – and Esme's before throwing them at William. He stormed from the room without a backwards glance, dragging his mate along behind him. We heard the front door open and close again in quick succession, then absolute silence.

They were _gone..._

"Okay – what just happened?" Harry asked.

"He's jealous," I whispered. I pulled Bella out from behind my back and cuddled her into my side.

"In the muggle world, Carlisle was our go-to-guy. He was the leader of our coven and he made all the rules. He decided where we were going to live, he chose our cover stories. If any of us had a problem, we went to Carlisle for guidance." I explained.

"So what's changed?" Dro asked in confusion.

"We did – our circumstances did. The moment we set foot in this house, Carlisle was lost. He knew _nothing_ about this world. He couldn't offer us any guidance, because he doesn't understand everything himself yet. We have no need for cover stories and we already have a home, here. In effect, Carlisle feels redundant. For the first time since he created me in 1918, he feels like he has no purpose." I whispered.

"But that's preposterous," William muttered. "You're a grown man – perfectly capable of making your own decisions. He should enjoy the fact that you are free to _live, _here."

"I know that he isn't acting like it, but in his mind, he _is_ happy for us. Vampires don't cope well with change, William. You know this – we are very set in our ways. He is just struggling to come to terms with everything he has seen over the last year. I think that seeing me in a coma today and not having a clue what was wrong, just tipped him over his breaking point. He'll be fine once he clams down." I vowed.

"Do you think they'll be back then, Edward?" Rosalie asked.

"I know it – he wont get too far before he realises that he's being a colossal ass."

"Er, guys? I hate to interrupt, but Ted Tonks and Teddy are downstairs," Harry called from outside the door.

_Teddy._

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**AN: Okay so don't hate Carlisle just yet. He needs to go through this if he wants to come out a better man on the other side. This a huge learning curve for his character – but he will get better, I promise! Let me know what you think of the story so far. I'll be posting the next chapter as soon as possible :-) **


	4. Chapter 4

**AN: Thanks for the lovely reviews on the last chapter! They're definitely giving me the incentive I need to get this story edited and posted. Here's the next chapter – let me know what you think!**

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Bella's breath came out in a small huff and her heart thundered in apprehension. We were stood outside the living room door, but Bella was understandingly anxious about going inside.

"Come on little love," I encouraged her. "Our Teddy is waiting for us in there."

She seemed to gather strength from that thought and slowly reached out to turn the door handle. My heart broke when my eyes met Teddy. He looked as though he hadn't slept in a month. His vacant expression didn't change when he saw me, either. Bella ran straight over to him and scooped him up into her arms, clinging on to him fiercely.

"I missed you, Aunty Bella," he whispered, sadly. Absolute heart-wrenching pain flashed through me at the sound of his desolate voice.

"I missed you too, splodge. But I'm here now, little one," she soothed. It seemed that Bella's fears had been unnecessary. She knew _exactly _what Teddy needed to hear – she knew _exactly_ how to comfort him. Of course she did – how could she ever have doubted herself?

"Are you hungry, Teddy?" Dro asked. "We have a special chocolate cake in the kitchen if you want some?" He nodded his head and slipped off Bella's lap, following Dro to the kitchen in silence.

"Mr. Tonks, I'm so sorry – " Bella cried. I was so proud of her for keeping her composure in front of Teddy, but no one expected her to keep it up while Dro distracted him in the kitchen.

"There was nothing that you could have done, Bella," Ted Tonks stated, sadly. "They're together at least..." he trailed off. "The most important thing now is Teddy. I'm not sure what Dora planned..."

"Which is where I come in," an elderly wizard wheezed.

"Forgive me," Ted Tonks asked as he wiped his teary eyes. "This is Dora's lawyer, Ithacus Smudge."

I shook his hand and gestured for him to sit down as our families left the room. Ithacus cast a charm on the door so that we may speak without Teddy overhearing and then pulled an immense envelope from his overused satchel, opening it with a sigh;

"Firstly, I must begin by telling you how much it saddens me that we are here today. Dora was a good girl..." we all nodded our agreement, silently. "But she _has_ stipulated certain requests in her last will and testament which must be followed."

"What are they?" Bella whispered.

"There is no mistake in her wishes. It was the intention of Nymphadora and Remus Lupin, that in the event of their death, the guardianship of Teddy Remus Lupin should fall under the responsibility of Isabella Asheya Black and Edward Anthony Masen Cullen."

I clutched onto my little love's hand and huffed out the breath I had been holding.

"However, Mrs Lupin has made it clear that this arrangement can only happen once the aforementioned parties have been married for at least a year." Ithacus explained.

"Did she say why?" I asked.

"As I understand it Mr. Cullen, Dora wanted you and Bella to enjoy a few years of being mated before you became Teddy's guardian. She has requested that Teddy live with her Father until you have celebrated your first year of marriage."

Bella's tears flowed freely, now. I slipped my arms around her shoulders and pulled her into my side, tightly.

"Well, we'll still be here for him," she whispered. "... and for you, too Mr. Tonks. If there is anything we can do.."

"You're doing more than enough, Bella. We're not holding a private service for them – there is going to be a memorial service for everyone who was lost at Hogwarts in a few days. That alone make it easier – I'm not sure I would have the strength to organise anything. No father should have to bury his daughter..."

I slipped silently from the room when Ted Tonks began to cry. He didn't know me and I'm sure that he didn't want me to see him at his weakest. Bella smiled gratefully at me as I left. I hurried into the kitchen and ignored the thoughts from my family. They were all anxious to know if I was now Teddy's guardian – but I wasn't going to talk about it in front of my little buddy. The less he knew about it, the better.

His head snapped up and he smiled for the first time since he arrived.

"Hi uncle, Edward." He held his little arms up, wanting a cuddle. _That I could do. _I scooped him up at lightening speed and blew a giant raspberry into his neck which caused him to squeal loudly.

"Merlin, Teddy – just how much of that cake did Dro give you? You weigh more than a hippogriff," I joked. It was a poor attempt at humour, given everything he was going through - but when he laughed, I realised just how resilient children are. I would never let Teddy forget his parents, but I would help him to adjust to his new life without them.

"I had _two _big slices, uncle Edward. Dro said that I'm a growing boy," he said proudly.

"Yeah – growing _outwards_," I quipped, which earned me a smack on the back of the head.

Eventually, Bella and Ted Tonks came back into the room after the lawyer had left. Dro wouldn't allow them to leave until they had eaten with us, which was fine by me. I loved spending time with my little buddy – I just wished that the circumstances were better.

We organised a schedule for Teddy that allowed him to visit us on set days. We all agreed that he needed some sort of routine back in place – if only for a sense of normalcy. I was saddened when he left – part of me felt as though we were deserting him, but Bella reminded me that this was what Dora had wanted... and we had to go along with it.

We were still sat at the table when the fireplace in the living room whooshed. We all glanced around the room, wondering who was expecting company, but everyone looked as confused as I felt. It was a little late for visitors. Sirius slipped from the room and came back in a moment later with Albus Dumbledore and an unknown man by his side.

"Good evening, everyone. Forgive me for intruding unannounced," he apologised. "I have brought along Alonso Hewitt – the senior minister for education," he gestured to the stranger. "I was hoping to speak to Isabella," he smiled.

"Again?" Sirius asked, suspiciously. "Something I should be made aware of, Albus?"

Dumbledore looked at Bella with a speculative expression; "You did not tell your family about my proposition, Miss Black?" He enquired. Bella shook her head and ran her hand through her immaculate curls.

"No, Albus – there hasn't been time. There was an _incident_ after our meeting. Things are just getting back to normal, now..." she offered, vaguely. I snorted loudly – it amazed me that she called slipping into a coma and 'incident'.

"What proposition?" William asked.

"Albus offered me a teaching position at Hogwarts," she explained.

"Potions master?" Dro guessed.

"Actually, no," Dumbledore replied. "Severus will still be in charge of alchemy at Hogwarts. I would like to hire Isabella as the new defence against the dark arts teacher," he stated.

"Bella that's fantastic!" Dro grinned.

"...and yet she refuses me," Dumbledore smiled.

"You turned the position down?" I asked.

"Isabella does not agree with the curriculum," Dumbledore explained. "We spent three hours butting heads over it yesterday," He chuckled.

"Good for you, Bells," Harry said through a mouthful of pie. "She's right, you know," he told Dumbledore.

"Just what is it you disagree with, little one?" William asked.

"I don't think that the school allows enough defensive spells in the curriculum." She murmured.

"Isabella, as I explained yesterday, the Ministry will not permit Hogwarts to be associated with dark magic –" Dumbledore began, but Bella cut across him.

"I have no intention of being associated with dark magic _either, _Albus... but that doesn't mean that others will not. I would never show a child how to produce fiendfyre – but I do think that they should be taught how to defend themselves _against_ it. Severing all ties with dark magic is irresponsible. It exists – the Ministry needs to accept that fact. Rather than ignore it, give the children the choice to fight _against_ it." She stated with conviction.

Alonso Hewitt observed my Bella with a scrupulous stare. No one spoke as he gazed at her.

"Miss Black, Albus brought me here today as he insisted that your were the woman for the job at Hogwarts. Ordinarily, the ministry refuses all changes to the curriculum- it has not changed in over a century... but your ideas intrigue me," he admitted.

"They are not _ideas,_ Sir. They are _fact. _I wonder how many more would have survived the battle if they had been able to recognise the dark magic that the death eaters used upon us. I would never suggest that we teach the children how to use such spells. But I would give them the choice to renounce dark magic, publically." She explained.

"The only way to change the curriculum is to face the Wizengamot, my dear. Is that something you would be prepared to do?" Alonso enquired.

"Will they actually _listen? _It seems to me that an awful lot of our warnings seem to fall on deaf ears at the ministry. I have still not forgotten Dolores Umbridge..." she spat.

If Alonso was taken aback by her rudeness, he didn't show it. If fact, he _smiled. _"I see what you meant, Albus. She will be perfect for the role," he chuckled.

"Miss Black, I will make a deal with you," Alonso offered. "It is not possible for Albus to hire you until you have taken your NEWT examinations. So I suggest this; sit your examinations at the Ministry this week and I will organize a trial with the Wizengamot. You will have the chance to address your concerns with the curriculum there."

"You mean to tell me that you may reform your stance on defensive magic?" Sirius whispered in disbelief.

"That, I'm afraid, is a matter for the Wizengamot to decide. All I can suggest is that Isabella tells them her concerns and lets them decide amongst themselves." He replied. "If they change the curriculum, will you accept the position, Miss Black?" He pressed.

My Bella nodded stiffly and sat back in her chair. "I will accept – but only if they allow me to teach a wider range of defensive magic."

"Excellent," Albus beamed. "Isabella, I shall arrange for you to take your examinations at the Ministry in a few days. You shall receive an owl, so if I may make a suggestion? Study, my dear." He smiled.

"We should be off, Albus. It is late," Alonso sighed.

"Yes, you're quite right. Have a good evening everyone. Isabella, I shall be in touch." Dumbledore smiled.

They left as quickly as they came in and every eye in the room fixed onto Bella.

"Congratulations, Professor." I smiled. Bella blushed and buried her head into my neck.

"You don't mind then? Me taking the position?" She asked timidly.

"Bella, I'm your mate, not your keeper. You are free to do whatever you like. I shall always support your decisions." I replied, honestly.

The rest of the evening was a celebration. After all of the loss we had suffered – after all of the stress and worry, it felt incredible to actually _smile_ again. Eventually, though, my Bella needed to sleep. I took her up to our bed and tucked her in before coming back downstairs. My throat burned uncomfortably as I made my way to the pantry – I needed _blood._

"Edward? Could you come in here for a moment please?" Sirius called from inside his office. I stepped inside without knocking and took a seat in front of his desk.

"Everything okay, Sirius?" I asked.

"Yes, I am happy to report that for once, everything is fine," he smiled. "I actually wanted to ask you about your day at the Ministry with me. Did you enjoy yourself?" He enquired.

"As much as one can when dealing with death eaters," I reasoned. "But the job itself was fascinating."

"I was hoping you would say that, son. We lost so many Aurors in the battle, that I find myself desperately understaffed. I was wondering if becoming an Auror might be something you would be interested in..."

My head snapped up, eagerly. "Very much so."

"Fantastic!" He crowed. "Firstly, we will need you to undergo Auror preparation. It's a highly intensive four week training program – very few pass, but I can't see you having too much trouble, Edward – not with your abilities. Once you pass, you'll be assigned to a team by me... and I already have one in mind for you."

"Which one would that be?" I enquired.

"The Ministry are only allowing the school to reopen if I send a team down there to guard the grounds. The work will be not dissimilar to what you did for the Order. However, I have a different task for you, should you accept the challenge. Harry has expressed an interest in finishing his school career. We haven't said anything to him, but quite frankly, it isn't _safe._ Half of the wizarding population want his autograph and the other half are former death eaters. Until we have caught everyone who fought against us at Hogwarts, Harry may very well still be in danger." Sirius sighed.

"So you want me to be what? His body guard?" I asked.

"Precisely. You would be responsible for him completely. You would attend all of his lessons, go with him to Quidditch practice, any trips to Hogsmeade... you will need to become his second shadow, Edward. Of course you are under no obligation," he insisted. "There are other roles available if this one doesn't suit you."

"Actually, it suits me perfectly. I was wondering how I was going to be separated from Bella without our mating connection kicking in, but this solves that problem perfectly." I admitted.

"Excellent. I think that Harry will kick up less of a fuss if it's _you_ protecting him. You are mated to his sister, after all." Sirius smiled.

After talking for a few more minutes, Sirius left to arrange my contract and training application. I sat completely still in his office in shock. A year ago, I had been a high school student, posing as a human in the most mundane existence in the world. Now? I was training to be an Auror, protecting the most important wizard in the world. I was mated to my immortal love who had just landed her dream job at Hogwarts.

I jumped up from my seat in excitement and ran to my room. I didn't want to wake Bella, but I was just too excited to stay quiet. I was finally the man I had always wanted to be – someone worthy of my little love.

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**AN: So? What did you think? I'm posting the chapters as soon as they are ready. The next one will be up later on today :-)**


	5. Chapter 5

"Edward? Come on son, we're going to be late," Sirius yelled unnecessarily. _Shit. _I quickly buttoned up my waistcoat and fled out of the closet. Bella and Sirius were waiting for me at the bottom of the stairs.

"You look very handsome, Edward," my little love smiled. If I could have blushed, I would have. Bella knew how nervous I had been about today. Sirius had organised my application for Auror training and today was my first day at the academy.

"Thank you, sweetheart," I whispered. "Here, let me carry those for you." I took the massive pile of books from her arms and tucked them against my chest. Bella had her final NEWT examination today – History of Magic. Jasper had been helping her to study all night and even though she answered every question he threw at her _correctly_, she was still nervous that she would fail.

"You're going to be fine, little love. You know the subject back to front – you're just nervous." I soothed her.

"Come on you two – we really are going to be late and that wont make _any_ of us look very good," Sirius called from the fireplace. "Ministry of magic." He disappeared from the fire in a blaze of green flames and Bella stepped in after him.

By the time I piled out at the other end, my entire frame was shaking. It was difficult to scare a vampire, but the Ministry of magic had managed it. I had read the brochure on Auror training – it seemed intensive, but that wasn't what scared me. No – I was scared of _failing. _More than anything, I wanted to _achieve_ something with my existence. I wanted a thriving career. I wanted to make Teddy proud...

"Right, Bella – Minerva will be waiting for you on the seventh floor," Sirius instructed. "Tabitha Pine will be your examiner today. She's very nice and _fair... _so please calm down – _both_ of you. You're starting to make _me_ nervous," Sirius muttered. Bella nodded, giving both of us a swift kiss before jumping into one of the lifts and disappearing from view entirely.

"Come on, Son," Sirius called. I stumbled into another lift behind him and grimaced as the guard closed the metal shutter behind us – trapping us inside.

"Good grief, Edward. We're not sending you to your _death_, you know. If little Dora Lupin can do this, _you_ certainly can," Sirius chuckled. I think I managed a small, but it probably looked like more of a facial spasm.

"Friend of yours, Sirius?" I glanced over to my right and saw an elderly witch smiling at me.

"Tabitha! We were just talking about you. Bella has already gone upstairs." He smiled. "Edward, this is Tabitha – she is the examiner who will be marking Bella's exam today. Tabitha, this is Bella's mate, Edward."

I managed to nod at her and Sirius laughed at me again. "He's starting Auror training today. He's a little nervous."

"You'll be fine, sonny. A word of advice? You wont lose marks for giving it a go – but you _will_ failif you don't try," she smiled. I thanked her as we left the lift, feeling a little better. I wished that Dro were here. At least if I failed, I would have someone to make a bit of a fuss of me. That woman was like a mother to me... another one. I was racking up quite a few of those, now.

Sirius led me into a stone chamber and pointed to one of the chairs. There were at least a hundred other people sitting around me and I was comforted when I saw that they were all as nervous as I was. Sirius walked to the front of the room, pulled off his heavy cloak and winked at me;

"My name is Sirius Black and I am the head Auror for the Ministry of Magic. To my right is Alistair Moody and to my left is Edgar Crowe – they are my senior agents and you _will_ listen to everything they say. They are here to make sure that no one is hurt – or _killed_ during this selection process."

He pulled up a chair and sat directly in front of us;

"Normally, Auror training takes over three years, but we lost so many of our best agents during the battle, that we have permission to relax the process a little. Right now, we would rather have a hundred average agents than no agents at all. This course will take just four weeks, but it will be intensive – _extremely _intensive. It will be dangerous and at times, push you to your limit..."

Sirius hadn't been joking. We had begun with 137 other applicants – only 15 still remained. Sirius had started the day with a three hour lecture on tracking and concealment... something which was easy for a vampire, but at the same time, Alistair Moody had spent the morning attacking people with his wand. It was a test, apparently. If his spell hit you, you failed the application process. He didn't tell you when he was going to strike, he literally just pointed his wand and fired.

"You're out McKinnon," Mad-eye growled. He had just hit poor Tim with a jelly-legs jinx. Tim sighed and walked out of the room, sadly. Make that _fourteen_ applicants left.

"You may think that this is extreme," Sirius began, "but once you are a known Auror, you will be a wanted target. You will need to have your eyes open at _all _times. People who wish to harm you will _not_ be shooting jelly-legs jinxes at you. If this were _real, _123 people would have died today," he said, seriously.

In my peripheral vision, I saw mad-eye point his wand at me. I wasn't sure what spell he was planning to use considering the fact that he was firing at a _vampire_... As soon as his wand was raised, I picked up one of the plaques on the wall and angled it so that the spell bounced off and flew at Sirius – the only other vampire in the room. Sirius whipped out his wand and managed to deflect the spell – _just._

"Edward? May I ask why you did that?" Edgar Crowe questioned. The room fell completely silent and I suddenly felt very self-conscious under everyone's intense gaze.

"You all keep saying 'if this were real'..." I began.

"Go on," Sirius encouraged.

"Well, if this were real, I wouldn't have wasted the spell that was shot at me. I would have deflected it onto someone else... I assume that mad-eye used a spell designed for _vampires _and I was worried that if I aimed it back at him, he would have been injured... so I aimed it at Sirius." I explained. Sirius winked at me and I realised that I had said something right - even mad-eye smiled at me.

By the end of the session, there were only four other applicants left, excluding myself. Sirius told us all to be here again in the morning before ordering me to get back to the house. He wanted me to be reunited with Bella before either of us suffered mating connection issues. My little love was waiting for me by the time I stepped out of the fireplace;

"How did it go?" She asked as she put her books down. I sat next to her on the love seat and pulled her into my lap. She had no idea how adorable she looked when she curled into me like a kitten.

"It was actually really good fun!" I crowed. "Aurors are absolutely _mental, _ though. Some of the stories they told today..." I trailed off. Honestly, I couldn't wait to pass the course and get stuck in...

"I'm so happy for you baby," she smiled. The pain in my chest disappeared completely when she kissed me softly. I shivered when her little tongue pressed against my top lip – I was just about to deepen the kiss when the fireplace flashed next to us. I swallowed a groan and pulled away from my little love. Sirius stepped out of the fire with an amused expression.

"Bella, honey – how did your exam go today?" He asked as he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. I immediately felt awful... I hadn't thought to ask her about her exam. I had been so wrapped up in my own excitement.

"It was awful," she admitted. "The essay question was on _troll_ wars."

Sirius grimaced on her behalf and conjured a drink with his wand. "I'm sure you did well, sweetheart. Exams always seem worse than they are... when will you get the results?" He asked. Shit was he _trying_ to make me look bad? That was another thing I hadn't thought to ask her.

"Dumbledore said that I'll receive an owl tomorrow," she whispered. "He's rushed them all through so that I can re-sit any that I've failed in time for the start of term."

"I very much doubt that you've _failed_ any, sweetheart." Sirius smiled. Dro walked in and kissed me on the forehead before going over to her mate.

"Dinner is ready," she smiled. "Everyone is gathered in the kitchen."

I picked up my Bella and wrapped her legs around my waist - I wasn't quite ready to let her go yet.

"How did you both cope with the separation today?" Sirius asked as we waked into the kitchen. I sat down next to Emmett, who had pulled a chair out for me and pulled a plate over for Bella.

"It's _manageable,_" I hedged. "But only because I know that we can only be apart for a few hours at a time." My Bella nodded her head in agreement as she shoved an immense amount of potatoes into her mouth. Everyone stopped what they were doing when Harry stomped in and sat down next to William with a scowl on his face.

"Harry? What's wrong?" Bella asked.

"_Dumbledore_. You'll never guess what he's done now?" He fumed. "Apparently it's too dangerous for me to go to Hogwarts alone. He's arranged for an escort to follow me around all over the place." He seethed.

"We know that, Harry. You're sitting opposite him." Sirius chuckled. Harry's eyes immediately flew to Edward and he relaxed a little.

"Edward is my guard?" He questioned.

"Well, I'm training to be your guard, Harry. I have to pass at the Auror academy first." I murmured.

"Oh thank heavens for that." He sighed as he slumped back into his chair in relief. "I had a horrible vision of mad-eye following me around, force feeding truth serum to everyone I spoke to." He groaned.

"So you don't mind so much if it's Edward, then?" Emmett laughed.

"Well I would rather not have a guard at all, but if I had to choose – Edward wins hands down. How is this going to work then, anyway?" He asked me.

"Well I've been instructed to keep an eye on you at all times, but I wont have to be _next_ to you to do that, Harry. I could stand fifty feet away from you and still be able to protect you from any threats," I reasoned. "No one else will even know that I'm there, if that makes you feel any better?" I offered.

Harry _beamed_ at Edward, "You have no idea how happy that makes me. Nothing against _you_ mate – I'm just tired of sticking out like a sore thumb. I want to spend just _one_ year looking like a normal kid at Hogwarts," he smiled.

"Then you _will_, Harry. No one will know that I'm protecting you, I promise." I smiled. Harry seemed much more cheerful after that and even made small talk with everyone. I put down down my fork when Vesper flew in through the window and landed on my shoulder – offering his leg to me, proudly.

"Wotcher, Vesper," I murmured as I untied the letter. The owl hooted and nipped at my finger before soaring straight back out the open window. "You have a letter, love," I murmured as I scanned the envelope. "It looks like it's from Dumbledore."

Bella took it from me and tore it open, eagerly.

"Well?" William asked. "What does it say?"

"I need to go to the Ministry tomorrow," my little love whispered. "I'm talking to the Wizengamot at midday."

"Can I come with you, Bella?" Rosalie asked, shyly.

"Of course you can, Rosie," Bella beamed. "Just a social visit? Or something else..." she hedged.

"I decided to take you up on your advice," Rosalie whispered. "I'm going to go down and talk to a careers advisor."

"Rosalie that's a _wonderful _idea," Sirius beamed. "Did you have anything in mind? Or are you just going to have a look?"

"Well I want to work with children," she hedged. "But I'm not sure what sort of things are available in the magical world."

"Are you interested in practising medicine?" William asked. "There is a vacancy for a trainee healer on the children's ward in St. Mungo's."

Rosalie's eyes lit up and we lost her completely as she immersed herself in an in-depth conversation with William about the vacancy. Jasper began asking questions too and I smiled. I would never be able to describe how happy it made me that my family were building a life for themselves here.

This was our world now - I only wish that Carlisle and Esme were here to enjoy it with us.

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**AN: Okay, so we're building up to the return to Hogwarts. I understand now why J.K Rowling skipped this completely and just wrote '19 years later' - it's extremely difficult to describe to clean up after the war without it being _boring. _Stick with me, we'll be back at Hogwarts in two chapters time :-) **


	6. Chapter 6

Bella didn't even flinch when the twenty members of the Wizengamot strode into the courtroom purposefully. They took their seats in the podium with very little fuss – this was obviously a well practised routine for them. A tiny wizard stepped forward, an open case file clutched firmly in his hands;

"The case of Miss Isabella Asheya Black versus the Ministry. She is a representative of Hogwarts, Sir," he snivelled. The judge waved him away impatiently and pushed his glasses up his nose as he stared intently at my little love.

"Ah, yes," the judge smiled. "For those of your who are unaware of the situation, this is Miss Isabella Black – her father is Head Auror, Sirius Black." He gestured to Sirius who nodded politely at the Wizengamot from the other side of the room.

"Isabella has been named as the new defence against the dark arts teacher at Hogwarts," the judge beamed. "I understand that you had some questions about the curriculum?" He asked.

"Yes, Sir. I am here today to ask permission to make some changes to the syllabus – I realise that the curriculum hasn't been changed in over a century... I only ask that you hear what I have to say before you make a decision," she replied clearly.

"We're listening, Miss Black," another wizard spoke.

I watched in awe as Bella stated her case to the Wizengamot. For an _hour_ she listed reason as to why it would be beneficial for the children to learn a wider range of defensive magic. The judge and his peers listened with rapt attention as my little love dominated the courtroom. As usual, within two minutes of meeting her, the entire room were wrapped around her little finger.

"...To summarise, I would like to make it clear that I would _never_ encourage Hogwarts to teach dark magic. I am simply asking the Ministry not to _ignore_ it anymore. Just because we don't acknowledge it, doesn't mean that it doesn't exist."

"How do you plan to teach the students counter-curses to dark magic, without teaching them the _curse_ itself?" One of the jury asked.

"All I would need was someone capable of performing non-verbal magic. The wand itself could easily be concealed – Fred and George Weasley sell invisibility gloves for exactly that purpose." She stated, professionally. The wizard nodded, seemingly pleased with her response.

"Ministers – _please..._ don't ignore this any longer. For generations, we have made dark magic a taboo subject in our world. We were wrong to do that. Let our children hear about the lives that dark magic has ruined. Let our children learn to _defend_ themselves against it. Let our children learn to _hate_ it. Give our children a chance to reject it. Let them be _proud_ that they can duel _without_ it. Don't disregard dark magic – _expose _it... "

She hopped off her chair and walked towards the judge; "Tom Riddle is gone, but there will _always_ be someone waiting to take his place," she whispered. "His followers are still at large... we need to protect ourselves. This is _not _the Ministry versus Hogwarts. This is good, versus evil... and I want to win."

She ended her speech with a beseeching look at the high judge. His expression was unreadable and his mind was closed to me, but I could see that he was processing everything she had just said.

"Have you received the results of your NEWT examinations yet, Miss Black?" He asked.

"No Sir – the owl hadn't arrived before we came here," she informed him. He nodded and scribbled a message onto a scrap of parchment before handing it to her.

"Take this to the department of magical education and tell them to give them a copy of your results. Meanwhile, the court shall adjourn. You made some interesting points, Miss Black, but the decision does not rest solely on me. I shall talk to the jury and we can meet here in half an hour for the decision. Agreed?" He asked.

She nodded her head and thanked the man before turning and leaving through the large doors. I followed after her in a rush and the family trailed behind me.

"Bella you were incredible!" I promised. She was biting that damn lip so furiously that it was taking all of my willpower not to slam her into the wall and kiss her silly.

"You don't think I pushed them too hard?" she fretted. I didn't get the chance to answer her before Albus Dumbledore approached her.

"Miss Black, I do believe that you made quite the impression on the court," he chuckled. He pulled a manila envelope from his pocket and handed it to her. "You'll have to forgive me – I thought it more prudent to give these to you in person," He smiled. Bella's hand shook as she took the letter from her old headmaster. After a few seconds of staring at it, blankly, she handed it to me.

"I can't open it, Edward. You do it... please," She whispered. I chuckled and tore at the wrappings as the family crowded around me.

* * *

**Isabella Asheya Black – NEWT Examinations.**

Pass Grades:

(O) Outstanding

(E) Exceeds expectations

(A) Acceptable

Fail Grades:

(P) Poor

(D) Dreadful

(T) Troll

(O) – Charms

(O) – Potions

(O) – Defence against the Dark Arts

(O) – History of Magic

(O) – Transfiguration

(O) – Arithmancy

(O) – Herbology

* * *

I had barely finished reading them before Dro started screaming. She pulled my Bella into a hug, who stumbled into her mothers arms in a daze. We were still celebrating ten minutes later when we were summoned back into the courtroom to hear the verdict from the Wizengamot.

"Everyone settle down please.," one of the guards hushed at us.

"I take it you passed then, Isabella?" The judge asked. My little love merely blushed and nodded.

"Excellent – well, I have conferred with the jury and we have reached a decision regarding your request, Miss Black. Permission has been _granted_, but there are conditions that _must_ be adhered too. Your first week must be observed by a member of the education department – secondly, we will be supplying a list of spells that are suitable for each grade – these are _not_ interchangeable. We do not want impressionable young first years seeing things that they shouldn't – do we have an understanding?" He said with obvious severity. Bella nodded her head, seemingly unable to speak.

"Very good. Good luck in your new position Miss Black. This court is adjourned." In a swift movement, the jury began filing out of the courtroom without so much as a backwards glance. I however, flew down the stone steps towards Bella who was still staring at the podium in shock. As soon as I reached her, I pulled her into my arms.

"You did it!" I laughed.

"I did, didn't I?" She whispered in a daze. Dumbledore strode over, smiling all the way;

"May I now inform the staff that the position for the defence Professor is taken?" He smiled.

"Good grief, I'm a professor," she whispered. "Fred and George are going to disown me..."

I laughed loudly – it was true. They would probably call her a traitor and never talk to her again. My laughter was cut short when Jasper sauntered over – his mind a mess of nerves.

"Er, Albus? I was wondering if I could have a word?" He asked hesitantly. If Dumbledore were surprised, he didn't show it – he simply gestured towards the door. They both walked away and I did everything I could not to listen in on their conversation. If Jasper had wanted me to know – he would have told me.

Sirius strolled over and flung an arm over each of our shoulders; "Shall we go home then? I think a celebration is in order!"

* * *

We partied well into the night – I was just about to sneak my girl upstairs when some sort of alarm began wailing – _loudly._

"What the bloody hell is _that?" _Harry yelled over the awful noise.

Sirius waved his wand and the screeching stopped, but he did not lower his wand. "It's the caterwauling charm," he muttered. "Someone is on our land without permission. Edward?"

I knew instinctively what he was asking and scanned the area for any thoughts. I immediately honed in on two very familiar minds;

"It's Carlisle and Esme," I whispered.

Sirius lowered his wand and flicked it at the front door, which slammed open with a bang. When Carlisle and Esme stepped into the room, they were both soaked from head to toe from the torrential rain that fell continuously in London at this time of year.

I held my breath as I waited for my father to speak. I could see in his thoughts why he was here – he just wasn't sure how to begin. Esme squeezed his hand in support and he smiled at her, gratefully.

"I'm so sorry," he whispered as he glanced around the room. "I realise that you probably don't want to listen to anything I have to say – but I'm asking you to give me a chance to explain..." his expression was so sincere that I almost felt sorry for him – _almost. _I still hadn't forgotten that he had called my little love and abomination.

Everyone glanced at Bella, wanting to gauge her reaction. My reaction to Carlisle's appearance would depend on her, entirely. I loved my father but I was furious with him. He had been unspeakably rude to my mate in _her_ home after she had moved heaven and earth to accommodate him.

Bella raised her wand and I grimaced, waiting for Carlisle to fall to the floor – but of course, he didn't. The clothes they my 'parents' were wearing dried instantly and I immediately felt terrible for assuming that Bella would hurt them. Of course she wouldn't. Bella would kill anyone who hurt her family, but she very seldom stood up for herself.

"Bella, dear – I owe you the biggest apology of all. I said terrible things to you –"

"Yes - you did," I interrupted him. "What do you want, Carlisle?"

"Just a chance to explain," he whispered. "May I speak to you and Bella alone?" I glanced at Bella who shrugged, minutely. Apparently she was leaving the decision up to me.

"Come on then," I muttered. I took Bella's hand and led us all to William's office. He wouldn't mind me using it – it was a safe haven for me. Somewhere that I could be alone with my thoughts. He had never once asked me to leave, even if he needed to use it. He would always just work around me in silence.

Once we were all settled around the fire, I placed my hands in my lap and waited for him to speak. I may have agreed to hear him out, but I wasn't going to make this easy for him;

"I'm a jealous fool," he whispered. "... and my jealousy has cost me everything."

Bella remained silent, allowing him to speak while I fought the urge to wrap my hands around his neck for upsetting her in the first place.

"I feel like I am losing you, Son - you are so very different..." he trailed off.

"Is that a _bad_ thing?" I asked. "Would you have preferred that I remained miserable and controlled?"

"No, Edward – never. I know that my behaviour does not reflect this, but I really am happy for you. Like I said – I was just jealous. In just a few short weeks, Sirius had managed to give you every single thing that I could not. He provided you with a mate, a home – a _future. _He offered you human food and Veela blood. You can have a thriving career and friends. I felt like I was being replaced, son." He whispered.

"That's preposterous, Carlisle. You cannot replace one parent with another. I never once felt jealous when you provided me with siblings... I knew that you were not replacing me when you took in Jasper – or changed Emmett." I argued.

"Then you are a better man than I am, Edward. I didn't say that it made _sense_... I'm just trying to tell you how I felt." He sighed.

"So what is your plan now?" I asked. "Are you settled back into the muggle world? Or are you returning to the wizarding world?"

"Well that depends largely on you, son – and Bella of course," He smiled. "I would love to make amends to everyone, but I can understand if you are not ready to forgive me yet. It doesn't matter to me where I live – I just want my family by my side again."

"Will you accept me as I am? My diet? My mating connection?" I tested.

"I swear it, Edward. I already do – it just took me a little longer than everyone else, that's all."

Bella squeezed my hand, reminding me that I would have her support no matter what I did next. I glanced back at my father and sighed at the look of undisguised hope on his face;

"So... I have a job now..." I started.

I spent the next hour filling Carlisle in on everything he missed - true to his word, he didn't once interrupt me. In fact he only spoke to ask questions and offer me support.

Just three hours after his arrival, as I tucked my Bella into our bed, I honestly believed that everything may be okay after all.

* * *

**AN: Okay – Enough with the heavy stuff... Next chapter, we're back at Hogwarts! Thank you for all the brilliant reviews on both stories – they really mean a lot to me. As always, let me know what you think! I'll have the next chapter up in a few hours.**


	7. Chapter 7

**AN: WARNING – My stories contain sex scenes, so if that isn't your thing, please don't read. You can skip it if you prefer – I'll be marking the start with a double line break. Enjoy! :-)**

* * *

"What about this, Edward?" Bella called from across the room where she was holding up a Sneakoscope.

"Pack it," I nodded. We were moving into Hogwarts today and we still hadn't finished organising our things. We had started last night, but when Bella walked into our room in nothing but a pair of tiny lace panties, asking me if I wanted her to pack them, I was understandably distracted... three times.

"Edward?" I snapped my head over to Bella who was giggling at me. "I've called your name four times... what has you so lost in thought?"

"Tiny lace panties," I whispered, shyly. She was full on laughing at me now;

"I have no idea where those ones have gone but I've packed lots of other ones, okay?" She giggled. I nodded my head but didn't answer her verbally. I knew _exactly_ where the other panties had gone. They were in my pocket – where they would be staying for the foreseeable future.

"There. All done." She waved her wand and the last of our things flew into the extendable pouch. I picked it up and shoved it into my pocket, roughly. Bella raced from the room without a backwards glance, but I paused to take one last look. I didn't mind leaving so much... because for the first time in a century, I would be able to come back again. I would never have to run again. I raced after my little love and watched as she said goodbye to our families.

"Good luck at the hospital, Rosie. You'll be brilliant – I know it," she smiled. Rosalie had applied for the trainee healer position on the children's ward at St. Mungo's and was accepted onto the program. She was due to start next week and was _very_ nervous.

"Alice – don't forget to invite us to the grand opening," Bella giggled. Our little Alice had decided to open up her own shop in Diagon Alley. She would be selling clothes, of course – and she was having a great time designing everything herself.

"We'll see you in a few hours, Jasper?" Bella confirmed. Jasper's career choice had shocked me the most. It turned out that when he asked to speak to Albus, it was because he wanted to apply for the History of Magic vacancy at Hogwarts. The previous teacher, Professor Binns, had disappeared during the battle and hadn't returned - quite strange considering the fact that he was a _ghost._ Jasper had read almost every book in the Hogwarts library during our time there and thanks to perfect recall, he knew more about magical history than anyone else who had applied for the job. After sitting a simple exam, he was hired on the spot. He didn't plan on living at the castle, though. He and Alice bought the apartment above her new shop in Diagon Alley. He would have to take the Floo Network every day – but he was happy... that was the most important thing.

Bella smiled politely at Carlisle and murmured a quiet goodbye from across the room. She was still a little uncomfortable around him and I hated it. You couldn't fault Carlisle, though. He had been making a massive effort to make amends to the family since he returned two weeks ago... but these things took time.

I quickly followed her around them room giving everyone a quick hug. Bella and I _were_ moving into the castle. She needed to be there for her students and I needed to be there to protect Harry – so we wouldn't be seeing any of the family for a while, now.

"Are you ready Harry?" I asked. After talking to Sirius, I had decided that Harry wouldn't be able to take the Hogwarts express. It was far too exposed and I didn't want him to be mobbed by the fan girls he seemed to have accrued, so we were taking him with us by the Floo Network.

"Sure – whenever you are." He replied.

After a few more rushed goodbyes, I stepped into the fireplace after Harry and Bella and grinned once the world stopped spinning and my feet touched solid ground once more. _Hogwarts..._ I had _missed_ this place. I loved Black manor, but ever since I had found out that Sirius was sending me back here, I had been counting down the minutes.

"Welcome back, Edward," Dumbledore smiled over the top of his book. "Harry and Bella have gone on ahead, but I was hoping to have a word with you."

"Of course," I offered. "Is everything okay?"

"For once, my dear man, I am pleased to inform you that everything _is_ okay," he smiled. "I just wanted to ask you if you had decided on a cover story for being in the castle. Sirius informed me that he was leaving the decision up to you and Harry."

I chuckled and ran my hand through my perpetually unruly hair. "Actually, Harry and I have decided not to let anyone know that I am here at all, Albus. I can stay out of sight very easily if I move at my natural speed. We thought it might be a nice change for Harry if he weren't paraded around the school like a pantomime horse," I chuckled.

"Yes, I suppose it would be a novel experience for him," Dumbledore agreed with a weary shake of his head. "But if it becomes difficult for you, Edward, there are other ways. I am happy to 'enrol' you in a few of his classes, for example," he offered.

"Thank you, Albus. I shall keep you informed, though I'm sure we'll be fine."

"Of course, dear boy. Well at any rate - good luck!"

I thanked him and slipped out of his office. Walking through the familiar hallways, I couldn't believe how quickly the Ministry had transformed the castle after the battle. Everything that was damaged had been repaired or replaced... there was absolutely no evidence of the immense fight that took place here just a few weeks ago_._ It looked _fantastic. _

I raced up to the defence classroom and found Bella already organising everything for tomorrow. The students were due to arrive in a few hours and Bella still needed to sort out her classroom. I took a seat at the back as she pulled out her wand. Many months ago in Forks, I had watched her transform her tiny bedroom into a palace. I knew she was about to do the same in here and I was beyond curious to see what changes she was going to make. With a few lazy flicks of her wand, all of the old posters we gone and the blinds were opened. All of the desks and old wooden chairs were removed, too. In their place, she summoned twenty arm chairs, which she pushed up against the walls, leaving a massive gap in the middle of the room.

"Why are you leaving so much space?" I asked.

"I want the students to be able to duel... they'll need lots of space to do it," she murmured distractedly. She waved her wand once more and summoned a large rectangular stage, which landed neatly in the centre of the room.

"So where are our living quarters?" I asked.

"Just up those stairs." She pointed to the large spiral staircase at the back of the room and I walked over to it, wanting to see where were would be living for the next year. I tried turning the handle on the door at the top, but it was locked.

"It's password protected, baby." She smiled as she came up behind me. "Masen," she whispered. The door opened with a click and I grinned at her as I stepped inside. The large oval room was decked in extremely expensive antique furniture. Bella had already unpacked our things and I was once again thankful for her magical abilities. All of this moving around would take so much longer without it.

"The bathroom is just behind the other door – you're going to love the bath." She grinned.

_I'm going to love seeing you __in__ the bath._

"Bella? Edward? Are you in here?" Harry called from the classroom below. We walked out hand in hand and descended the stairs.

"Happy to be back?" I smiled at him.

"You have _no_ idea," he chuckled. "I just thought you should know that the carriages have started to arrive. We should probably get downstairs."

"Good grief, is it that time already?" Bella whispered.

"You will be _fine, _love."I promised. She might be able to put on a brave front for everyone else, but I knew my mate – she was terrified. "Come on, lets go down to the great hall, hmm?"

One tiny nod was all the response I got and I tried not to laugh when she held her arms up, wanting to be carried. I flung her onto my back and walked down next to Harry in silence. Once we were outside the doors, I set my little love on her feet. It probably wouldn't be the greatest first impression if I carried her in there like a child.

"Come on, Bells. Those are our _friends _in there_,_" Harry encouraged. "... and they're going to be thrilled when they hear that you're working here now."

He took her by the hand and led her inside in support. I gave him a swift pat on the back as thanks when I saw her gather the courage to walk onto the stage and take a seat in between Severus and Jasper.

"I'll be behind the curtain on the stage, Harry," I told him. "I know that you want me to be discreet, but as your _friend_, if you need me – just whisper and I'll hear you, okay?"

"Sure – and _thanks_, Edward... for understanding," he whispered. He walked over to the Gryffindor table and took a seat. I managed to slip behind the curtain just as the first few students filed into the hall.

Listening to the insipid minds of all the children – especially when they noticed that Harry was here, was tedious work. All of them were making elaborate plans to befriend him, or get his autograph, or _date_ him. Thankfully they quietened down once they had eaten and Dumbledore stood up to address them.

"I wont bore you with a long speech – you all know why the school has been closed, but the important thing is that it is once again _open... _and shall remain so!" Albus smiled. His statement was met with cheers and applause and he had to raise his hands to settle them once again.

"We also need to greet several new members of staff," He smiled. "Please would you welcome our new muggles studies teacher – Professor Simms." The students clapped politely as the elderly witch waved.

"Many of you may remember our next new addition – he was part of the guard who kept you safe over the last few months. He will be taking over as our new History of Magic teacher – Professor Whitlock," Albus smiled. Harry and Ron whooped loudly and I chuckled as I realised that everyone was just relieved that Professor Binns had gone at long last.

"Finally, I would like you all to welcome our new Defence against the Dark Arts teacher. I had quite a task convincing her to take the position, so please do not scare her off," he chuckled. "Please welcome -

Professor Black," he smiled. There was a moment of absolute stunned silence before the most deafening round of applause I had ever heard. All of the seventh years stood from their seats and began cheering, madly. I glanced at my little love, who was blushing beautifully and waving at her friends.

I growled fiercely as almost every male mind in the room began thinking about _my _Bella in teacher/student fantasies. Even though I knew it wasn't real, I wanted to kill every sinlge boy who imagined my mate moaning their name. I wanted to rip apart every insipid fuck that dared to imagine _my_ Bella writhing underneath them.

"Okay – thank you everyone," Dumbledore chuckled. "Settle down, please. You have missed quite a bit of school this year but it is my very best intention for you to all pass your exams. All I ask is that you try your very hardest and let the teachers do the rest. On that happy note, I would like you all to pop off to bed... for I am pleased to remind you that you have _classes_ in the morning."

Dumbledore's speech was met with a unanimous groan, but they filed off to bed immediately, none the less. I waited until Harry was a safe distance away before flashing through the corridor far too quickly for any human to see. Once I was certain that he was safely in the common room for the night, I sloped off to find my Bella. She was already beginning to undress in our chamber when I walked in behind her and locked the door.

* * *

"I need you. _Now_." I was livid. I felt _feral. _All of the minds inside the great hall tonight merely reminded me of the fact that Bella wasn't tied to me the way I was to her – she could fall in love as often as her heart dictated. Well, I wasn't going to let any of those little fucks near my mate. I didn't give her a chance to answer before I slammed her into the bedroom wall and kissed her, furiously.

_Fuck she tastes incredible…_

I licked her lower lip and was rewarded with a deep whimper, which only encouraged me to force my tongue into her mouth and push her into the wall even harder. I groaned when she wrapped her legs around my waist and threaded my fingers into my hair, tugging hard. I hissed and tore her shirt open.

"Edward, _please_…" I smirked when I realised that I was the reason for her breathy, wanton plea. Knowing exactly what she needed, I tore off her panties and ran my fingers through her slick folds.

"So _wet_…"

She tightened her legs around my waist and ground herself onto my dick.

"Fuck yes, baby," I hissed. I pulled down my zip and freed my length. Bella moaned as she watched me stroke myself. Needing no further persuasion, I pulled back and slammed into my girl.

"Edward. Fuck!"

I began pumping into her at a furious pace and prayed that I wasn't hurting her. I felt absolutely out of control. This wasn't tender or gentle. I needed to _claim _her – to show her that no one else could give her this. Her sex belonged to _me._

"Do you have _any_ fucking idea how hard it is to listen to their minds, Bella?" I growled. I sped up – my thrusts going impossibly deeper. "Do you have _any _fucking idea how much you mean to me?"

"Edward, _please… _I'm so close._ Please."_

"_Promise _me, Bella. Promise me that you won't let them near you_."_

She didn't speak. It was obvious that she couldn't think about anything other than what she was feeling. I stopped my movements and gripped her chin, forcing her to look at me. She whimpered loudly at the loss and I felt terrible. I didn't want to use sex as a weapon against her… but I _needed_ to hear her say it...

"Answer me, baby. Just promise me that you're mine and I'll take care of you. I'll make it go away, I promise."

"Anything, Edward. I'm yours… just _please_…"

That was all I needed to hear. Relief swept through me and I began pumping again while Bella buried her face in my neck.

"There's my good girl. It's ok, I've got you." I crooned. My fingers began circling her clit and I could feel her orgasm approaching rapidly. She was tightening over my length repeatedly and it was taking all of my willpower to hold on.

"_Fuck_…. that's it little love. I want to _feel_ it. Let me feel you come all over my cock. Come for me, baby... _Now_."

She threw her head back against the wall and screamed her release dragging me right along with her. I secretly wished that this room wasn't sound proofed. I would have loved nothing more than for every boy in this school to have heard Bella screaming my name into the night.

* * *

Her head fell forward onto my shoulder and I pulled her away from the wall so that I could place her on the bed, before wrapping the covers around her tightly. She leaned over to stroke my face as I climbed into the immense bed beside her;

"What was that about, Edward?" She breathed. "Not that I'm complaining."

I groaned in reluctance. I had hoped that she would be too tired to question my irrational behaviour. Apparently not.

"It's difficult for me, Bella." I admitted, honestly. "I have to hear every disgusting and suggestive thought that they have about you... and trust me - there are a lot of them," I growled.

"But you _know_ that I'm yours, Edward. No silly teenage boy could ever replace you, baby. I've been yours for over ten years, now. You are quite literally the man of my pre-cognitive dreams," she giggled.

"But that's just it," I sighed. "What if in twenty years, you dream of someone else, Bella? What if there is someone else out there who you are destined to be with? I will _always_ love you and only _ever_ you - but you are free to love as many times as you like... It _scares_ me..." I whispered.

She crawled onto my chest and grabbed my face between her tiny hands; "Edward? I _love_ you... so much that I fall into a _coma_ if we're apart for more than eight hours. My heart literally gives up if we're separated. Do you know how _rare_ that is?" She asked.

"Sirius said that it has never happened before," I whispered. "He said that it should be impossible."

"...because it _is, _baby. It's impossible and ridiculous... but it's also the reason why I'll never love anyone else. If I can't manage eight hours without seeing you, then I don't have a _chance_ of being without you for eternity. Do you understand what I'm telling you, Edward?"

I nodded shyly and pulled my little love closer to me. I knew that I was being needy and clingy - but I had spent a century in misery. Now that I finally had everything I wanted, I felt as though it were only a matter of time before it was pulled away from me again.


	8. Chapter 8

The following morning had passed quite quickly. I had shadowed Harry throughout his double potions class – and then his transfiguration lesson, but he had been quite distracted the entire time. While Ron and Hermione talked and worked, Harry gazed out of the window in silence. If his friends noticed his odd behaviour, they didn't say anything. To be perfectly honest, they seemed so wrapped up in their new relationship, I doubt that they would have noticed an incoming meteor.

By the time lunch rolled around, I was actually beginning to worry about my future brother-in-law. He had been so excited to return to school – he wasn't even having too much trouble with his swooning fan girls. Apparently he intimidated everyone so much that they were giving him a respectful distance – _for now_.

I stood under the shade of the whomping willow, far out in the grounds and watched Harry walked towards the great Hall through the minds of the children around him. He was scanning the hallways, frantically, and for the life of me I couldn't work out what he was looking for. It was only when he beamed an incredible smile that I saw what he was looking at – or perhaps 'whom' was more appropriate. Walking down the hall towards Harry was none other than Ginny Weasley. He sped up and deliberately crossed the hallway to intercept her.

"Hi Ginny," he grinned. Ginny returned a small smile and went to move past him. He stopped her again and seemed to flounder as he thought of something to say.

"Are you enjoying your first day back?" He asked. His voice sounded a little desperate and I wondered what the fuck was going on. It seemed to be a bit of a strange way to greet your girlfriend.

"Yes," she shrugged. "It's been fine, thanks. You?"

"Brilliant. It's been absolutely brilliant," he beamed. They both looked extremely awkward and I wasn't at all surprised when Ginny made her excuses and left. Harry watched her leave with a distraught expression on his face. Once she was out of his sight, he stormed out of the castle and sloped off into the grounds with his head down and his hands thrust into his robes. I followed him down to the lake and made sure that he was alone before I stepped out from the trees to take a seat on the grass next to him.

He didn't even look up when I sat down – he knew it was me. I wouldn't have let anyone else get near enough to him.

"You saw?" He asked. His entire frame was tense and I knew that he was thoroughly embarrassed,

"I did – I don't _understand _what I saw, though." I admitted with a shrug. Harry sighed and started trimming chunks of the grass with his wand.

"I don't think she is going to take me back, Edward," he admitted. "I think I've blown it."

"I thought that you were already back together?" I questioned. "You've been at the Burrow every day since the battle…"

"To see Ginny." He confirmed.

"So…" I trailed off in absolute confusion.

"She's not my girlfriend, Edward… and the more time I spend around her, the less I think she wants to be." He sighed.

"Have you spoken to her about it? Have you actually told her that you want to try again?" I probed.

"Of course! It was the first thing I did after the battle. She says that she needs some time…"

"For?"

"You weren't there when we broke up, Edward. As far as she's concerned, one minute we were fine and the next, I was breaking up with her to go to America. She understands that I had to leave, but she doesn't understand why we had to break up. She doesn't trust me not to do it again…" he whispered in frustration.

I could see her point. Everyone in the Order had been frustrated with Harry at one point or another. For someone that wanted to be treated like an adult, he always did _exactly_ what Dumbledore wanted. It was infuriating to watch.

"What do you do when Bella is mad at you?" He whispered. I tried to hide my smirk – it probably wouldn't be a good idea to tell him what I did when Bella got cross with me. It was far too soon for Harry to be attempting anything like _that_ with little Ginny Weasley.

"Grovel," I chuckled. "… and follow her around like a lost puppy."

"Isn't that a little needy?" He grimaced.

"Most definitely – I've completely perfected my 'I'm sorry' pout." I laughed.

"I'm being serious, Edward," Harry sighed. My smile fell from my face when I realised that the poor boy really was asking for my help and I was being an idiot.

"If I were you, Harry, I would give her exactly what she wants. She's scared that you're going to run off again and you already _are_ doing that –" I didn't even get the chance to finish my sentence before he cut across me in outrage.

"No I'm not – I've been at the Burrow every single day, Edward!" He yelled. I held my hands up in front of me, trying to get him to calm down.

"Then why aren't you in the Great Hall eating your lunch, Harry? Why aren't you in there showing Ginny that you're here to stay? She _loves_ you, Harry. She's probably sitting in that hall now wondering where the fuck you are."

His mouth opened and closed as he desperately tried to think of a way to argue my point. I decided to speak again before he found a way around it.

"You want her to see that you're here to stay? Get into the hall and stick to her like _glue, _Harry. Walk her to her lessons, take her to Quidditch practice, escort her to dinner... it might eventually drive her crazy, but at least she wont be able to say that you're not putting the effort in." I reasoned.

"Like glue?" He confirmed.

I nodded my head and winced, wishing that I had spoken to Bella first. I may have just made things _worse_ for poor Harry. I was useless at this sort of thing. It was a miracle that I hadn't buggered up my own relationship yet. I was certainly in no position to be offering advice to anyone else. I decided to add a little amendment to the end of my speech.

"... but if it goes wrong, don't tell Bella it was my idea or she'll be really cross and make that unhappy face that makes me want to squeeze her..." I said at a hundred miles an hour.

Harry burst out laughing right in my face. "You have my word," he chuckled, shaking his head. "I should get in there, then," he sighed. He picked up his satchel and hung it on his shoulder before turning to face me;

"Thanks, Edward – I really needed that," he smiled.

"Any time," I answered, running my hand through my hair. "I know it must bother you – that I'm always going to be listening, but if it makes you feel any better, I'll plug my ears when you talk to Ginny tonight... you know, so that you can have some privacy..."

He blanched and stepped closer to me again; "Merlin, Edward – don't do _that. _You're my only hope of winning her back! Seriously, the only other person I can turn to for advice is _Ron_ and he's even worse than I am. I almost feel sorry for Hermione." His face was such a picture of horror that I started laughing again.

"Want a lift up to the castle?" I offered, in between chuckles.

"Yeah, go on then. It's been a while since I've had a vampire piggy back." He grinned.

With my speed, I had Harry back at the Great Hall just in time for him to have some pudding. I watched through Ron's mind as Harry walked straight past him and Hermione, choosing to sit with Ginny and her friends instead. Ginny had seemed surprised for a moment, before bursting into a smile. I huffed a massive breath in relief. I just hoped that my plan didn't backfire. I was serious when I told Harry that I hated to see Bella's unhappy face... especially when it was aimed at me. When the bell rang, I grinned and raced to Harry's next lesson – Defence Against the Dark Arts. I was going to get to see my little love teach. I flew straight into her classroom and closed the door behind me. I knew I was in trouble the second I saw her white silk blouse and tight black pencil skirt.

_Shit – she's every single boys fantasy come to life. _

"Please tell me that you haven't been wearing that all day," I growled as I kissed her neck.

"Why? Is it not smart enough?" She fretted as she turned to face me.

"Smart enough? Bella you look incredible – but for my sanity, _please_ go and get changed," I begged.

"Into what?" she asked as she climbed the stairs.

"Something so hideous that Alice would insist on killing it with fire... t_wice_," I replied. Bella merely chuckled and carried on writing on the blackboard with her wand.

"The students are here, Edward. You should go up to our room if you don't want to be seen."

I did as she asked, but grumbled all the way up the stairs. Why did she have to be so _beautiful? _I closed the door and sat on the bed just as Harry's class began to file into the room. All of the female minds were gushing over the pretty armchairs and flowers... all of the male minds were gushing over the pretty teacher. My grumbling must have become louder because Bella hissed quietly under her breath at me.

"Okay you lot, settle down and take a seat," she instructed.

I watched my Bella command the attention of every student in the room, through Parvati's mind. She walked around the classroom with an air of absolute confidence and I found myself sitting up a little straighter, wanting to pay attention... I then scolded myself when I realised how ridiculous I was being.

"For those of you who don't remember me from years gone past, my name is Isabella Black. I would have been in my seventh year at Hogwarts, but Professor Dumbledore was having some staffing issues," she admitted honestly. Her statement was met with a few shy chuckles – but before she was able to continue, she was interrupted.

"Did you really duel three death eaters at once, Professor?" Seamus Finnegan asked. "It was in the daily prophet..."

"She did," Ron confirmed. "I saw her – total nutter if you ask me."

Bella chuckled and nodded her head. "Yes – but everyone who fought that night duelled death eaters, Seamus. It was that or be killed." She admitted with a sad smile. "...and with your permission, I would like to teach you all to do the same." She informed them. "Since I began at Hogwarts, I have had a new defence teacher every single year – not _one_ of them stuck around long enough for us to actually learn much. Good grief, do you remember Umbridge? She wouldn't even let us get our _wands_ out," she seethed. Her outrage was met with several loud huffs of agreement. Apparently everyone felt as strongly about this as she did.

"...But not in _my_ classroom," she insisted. "Last week, with the support of Dumbledore, I approached the Wizengamot and asked them to change the curriculum."

"To include what?" Hermione asked, eagerly.

"The counter-curses to Dark Magic," she whispered. The entire class began whispering back and forth to each other, frantically.

"You want to teach us _dark _magic?" Ron asked, his face a mask of stunned disbelief.

"Of course not, Ron. I want to teach you how to defend yourselves _against _it. For example – Ron, what would you do if I raised my wand and shot a stream of Fiendfyre at you?" she asked.

"Hit it with water... Aguamenti," he replied with confidence.

"Water doesn't touch Fiendfyre, Ron," Hermione whispered. "It would burn through it..."

"Exactly, Hermione," Bella Beamed. "Any of you – what would you do?"

"Run!" Dean shouted. There were murmurs of agreement and Bella sighed.

"What if you didn't _have_ to run?" She asked them. "What if you knew the counter-curse? What if I taught you how to safely deflect _every_ single dark magic hex that was aimed at you?"

"You can't beat a wizard who uses dark magic," Seamus yelled from the back of the room.

"My little brother defeated the darkest wizard of all time with a simple disarming spell, so you'll forgive me if I disagree with you, Seamus," she countered.

Harry seemed to be embarrassed, but all of the other students were watching Bella with rapt attention – Hermione, especially.

"I'm going to give you the choice," she offered. "We can either stick with the original subjects, or we can work twice as hard and try to fit in the counter-curses, too. It's entirely up to you. But in _my_ class, there will be very little written work. I don't want to read about the spells, I want to see you _do_ them. From tomorrow, you may leave your textbooks in your common rooms – just bring your wands." She smiled.

"What's the stage for?" Neville Longbottom asked.

"That's where I shall be demonstrating each spell. Me at one end, my opponent on the other. Once you've seen each spell a few times, I'll remove the stage and set up the classroom so that you can all have a go against each other," she answered.

"You're going to let us _duel_?" Ron asked with a grin.

"Of course – that's why we're here," she chuckled.

The whole class was bubbling with excitement. My little love didn't know it yet, but she had already won each of them over. In their minds, she was the best teacher they had ever had – and she hadn't even started, yet.

"Professor?" Hermione asked. "You said that you would demonstrate with an opponent? Who will that be?"

"Well, for the more dangerous spells, I will be asking either my mate, Edward, or his brother Professor Whitlock to help me. Vampires have notoriously tough skin, so they wont be injured. For the average spell, I have enlisted the help of Professor Snape," she smiled.

"You're going to duel _Snape?" _Ron grinned. "I'm in – I want to see these counter-curses," he said eagerly.

Actually, he wanted to see her hit Severus with a few good Hexes. Most of the class seemed to be in agreement.

"Fantastic!" Bella smiled. "If everyone else could write down their vote and put it in the bowl on my desk, please. Either we keep the old curriculum, or double our work load to include the counter-curses to dark magic. Everyone votes and the majority wins," she informed them.

The class pulled scraps of parchment out of their bags and scribbled their responses down onto the paper before placing their votes into the bowl on the desk. I watched as every single one of them voted for the new curriculum. They _all_ wanted to learn how to properly defend themselves.

The bell rang and the class began to gather their things; "Remember, guys – you'll only need your wands tomorrow. Leave the textbooks in your common rooms and we'll get started, okay?"

There was a chorus of 'yes, Professor' as the class filed out of the door, still humming with excitement. Harry stayed back long enough to tell my little love how well she had done before dashing off after his friends. I had just enough time to kiss Bella on the forehead before I was forced to flash from the room as the next class came in.

I was _endlessly_ proud of her. In just an hour she had made a massive impact on those children and she hadn't even raised her _wand_ yet. I had no doubt that the next set of students would leave her classroom in just as much awe as the last lot. She was incredible... and she was all mine.


	9. Chapter 9

**AN: Sorry for the delay. Hope you're all still with me! Let me know what you think!**

* * *

I watched my little love in unashamed awe as she taught Harry's class again. It was Friday already and this was Harry's fourth lesson of the week with my Bella. This one was far more important than those before it though, as _this _lesson was being assessed.

The Wizengamot had sent the minister of education to observe the lesson. The Ministry wanted to be certain that Bella wasn't abusing her new found power. Severus had popped in on Bella's request to assist her, and Dumbledore was here to keep an unofficial eye on the Ministry official.

"The Sectumsempra curse," she began, "was discovered less than thirty years ago by one of Hogwarts own students. It has not been declared as an 'unforgivable' curse, but is widely considered to be Dark Magic. With the right incantation, this spell is similar to an invisible sword. It will follow the movement of the wand and cause deep lacerations to your opponent. In fact these lacerations are so deep, that they are often fatal."

The students watched with rapt attention as Bella walked up and down the stage that dominated the centre of the classroom.

"More often than not, this curse will sever limbs from the opponent that cannot be reattached. The Dark magic literally _curses_ the severed body parts, making them useless. Given the fatality rate, it is just as dangerous as using 'Avada Kedavra'."

"That's nasty," Seamus grimaced.

"It is, Seamus," Bella agreed, "_but_ - we are not defenceless against it. Firstly, we can shield ourselves from it. The 'Protego' spell isn't strong enough to deflect this curse, but 'Protego Maxima,' is. If you manage to summon your shield in time, the curse will simply bounce off of it. It will be loud and there will be a small flame where the curse hits the shield, but you will survive," she stated with conviction.

"What if we don't manage to summon a shield in time?" Lavender asked.

"There is a particular incantation that I want you to remember when dealing with this curse," she stated. "Without your wands, I would like you to repeat after me, please - _Vulnera Sanetur_."

There were seventeen replies of Vulnera Sanetur, as the class copied my love. Again and again she repeated it, until every student remembered the incantation.

"Fantastic," she enthused. "Saying it _once_ will ease the blood flow to the wound. Saying it _twice,_ will cause the skin to knit back together. Once you've done that, apply dittany to the area and you may even prevent scarring." She smiled.

The students were all still captivated by my Bella as she drew her wand from her sleeve and hopped back onto the stage.

"Now, Professor Snape has offered to do a little demonstration with me – so please do not panic. No one will be losing any limbs, I promise," she smiled. Severus stepped onto the stage and stood opposite my little love.

"Where's his hand?" Parvati screamed.

"Calm down, everyone... sorry I should have explained. For obvious reasons, the ministry do _not_ want you to learn how to perform dark magic. Professor Snape is using a vanishing glove so that no one will be able to recreate his wand movements. It was the only way the Wizengamot would allow me to teach your the counter curses."

The students nodded and sat forward in their armchairs as Bella and Severus faced each other. They both held their wands in front of their noses before bowing. As soon as they were upright again, they lowered their wands and moved to opposing ends of the stage. It looked like some sort of strange _dance. _

"Ready?" Severus asked as he raised his arm. Bella nodded once and gripped her wand a little tighter. I didn't see his wand move – the vanishing glove had completely concealed it, but I certainly saw the flash of hideous white light that shot towards my little love. The class gasped as Bella calmly raised her own wand;

"Protego Maxima!" Her command caused a large bubble to erupt from the tip of her wand which deflected the spell straight out of the window. She made it look _easy. _The class erupted into deafening cheers of applause and Bella took a little bow – hell even Severus cracked a small smile at their easy delight.

"Again?" She yelled over the hubbub. There were seventeen thundering replies of 'yes'.

Half an hour later, she deflected the curse for a final time before lowering her wand;

"Right – the bell is about to ring and I've got just enough time to tell you about you homework..."

There was a unanimous groan and my little love giggled, sweetly. "Calm down – this isn't written work. I've already told you that there will be _very_ few essays in my class. This weekend, I would like you all to practice your shield charms for Monday. We obviously wont be using the Sectumsempra curse against each other, but I _will _be throwing spells at you for you to deflect so practise, practise, practise!" She yelled.

They filed out of the classroom talking about their lesson animatedly. In less than a week, Bella had made herself the favourite teacher in the school – no exceptions. Harry's last lesson of the day was potions and thankfully, Severus had agreed to escort him down to the dungeons and keep and eye on him. Normally, I wouldn't have minded going with him, but today was different... and I had somewhere I needed to be.

I flashed out of the room and appeared in front of the stone gargoyles in front of Dumbledore's office.

"Password?" One of the stone creatures asked.

"Cackling crackers," I murmured.

"Right you are young nipper. Get it? Nipper?" The other chuckled. I shook my head at their dismal joke as they winked simultaneously. Eventually, they moved to the side, allowing me to climb the immense stone staircase. I couldn't hear anyone inside the office but I knocked anyway. It wasn't unusual for Dumbledore to cast a silencing charm on his door.

"Enter," the old man wheezed. I pushed the door open gingerly and stepped inside. I was immensely thankful that I had thought to knock once I saw that he was in a meeting with at least ten other wizards. They were obviously arguing about something and I was immediately annoyed – hadn't Albus proved his worth ten times over? What would it take before these other wizards simply _trusted_ him?

"Edward? Is everything okay?" Dumbledore asked in alarm. I raised my hands – the universal gesture for 'calm the fuck down' and walked towards the crowd.

"Everything is fine, Albus. Harry is safe – Severus took him down to his final lesson. I was actually hoping to use your fireplace. I have a pressing engagement..." I trailed off. Dumbledore raised his eyebrows but didn't push for answers... and I was eternally grateful to him for it. I really didn't want to have to explain where I was going in front of all these strangers.

"Ah, so this is Harry's new security guard?" I glanced at the person who had spoken. A middle aged man in a very expensive set of robes was observing me with a keen eye. I wanted to tell him to piss off – that I wasn't an animal at the zoo, but I thought it would probably have been a little rude.

"Yes," Dumbledore chuckled. Sometimes I honestly thought that the old headmaster could read my thoughts. "This is Edward Masen. Edward, this is the Minister for Magic. He was appointed just last week – Innerus Sloane."

I took his hand and internally rolled my eyes when he flinched at my cold hand. His thoughts were confused – he wanted to be scared of me, but my polite gestures had thrown him. My easy smile only puzzled him further.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Minister," I grinned, making sure to show all of my extremely sharp teeth. He took a step away from me, but showed no other sign of discomfort.

"Er, yes," he muttered. "You too, Edward."

Dumbledore stifled a chuckle behind his hand and I winked at him. I didn't know what they had been arguing about, but I wanted to make it clear that Albus Dumbledore was extremely well protected – by a vampire, no less - and I was just the tip of the iceberg. He was not short of a supporter or two. We were all absolutely sick of Ministry officials sticking their noses in at Hogwarts - it was about time that they knew it.

"Well, I won't disturb your meeting any further – Albus, I shall be back soon. If you need me for anything, you can contact me at the Aurors Office," I smiled. Albus waved me into the fireplace, still grinning as I disappeared down the grate. My feet had barely touched the floor when Sirius pulled me in for a hug;

"Edward, son. We weren't expecting to see you until tomorrow at home. Everything okay?"

His easy acceptance still shocked and thrilled me and I found myself grinning as I pulled a chair up at his desk. As soon as we were both seated, though, I remembered why I was here and began to panic.

"Everything is fine, Sirius," I whispered. "I actually wanted to talk to you – without Bella being there."

My voice was so quiet, I was surprised that he heard me speak at all.

"Of course, son. What's on your mind?"

I took a deep breath and clasped my hands together on my lap. I had rehearsed this a thousand times in my head, but now that I actually needed to speak the words aloud, I physically couldn't make my lips move.

"Edward?" Sirius prompted again.

"IwanttoaskBellatoMarryme," I stuttered. Sirius raised his eyebrows and I couldn't tell if he was confused or thinking about what I had just said. I scolded myself for being such a prat and decided to try again. I wanted to make the best impression I could... and so far, I was messing it up completely.

"I want to ask Bella to Marry me." I spoke with conviction. Each word was separate, clear and concise.

"Sirius, I love your daughter. I wont sit here and list the reasons why I would be a good husband for her – if you can't see it for yourself, then I've done a terrible job as her mate and I'm not good enough for her. But I am asking you to please give me your blessing... I need her Sirius. _Please_." I begged. It was a terrible confession and nothing like the sophisticated conversation I had planned in my head, but it was honest at least. Sirius put his quill down in front of him and smiled.

"Well, it's about time, Edward," he grinned. "I thought you were never going to come to me."

Relief swept through me when I realised that he was allowing me to actually do this. I was really going to be able to propose to my little love. I would have done it anyway, but it would be so much better with his permission. I was old fashioned – it was supposed to be this way.

"It took me a while to gather my courage," I admitted quietly.

"Did you think I would turn you away, son? You're her _mate!" _He chuckled. I shook my head and chuckled, lowly. This had all been so much easier than I had anticipated.

"But now I have the really hard part," I whispered.

"You have to actually _ask_ Bella," he chuckled. I nodded and grimaced. "Have you given any thought as to how you want to do it? Paris? Rome? New York?"

I shook my head at my future father-in-law and smiled at him. "None of those places will mean anything to my Bella. I've planned something, but it's a surprise..." I whispered.

"Well, son, you had my permission, but now you have my blessing too. I'm thoroughly pleased that you have put so much thought into this. She'll be touched, Edward – truly."

'_You're late simpleton!' _

My watch carried on screaming insults at me until I apologised to Sirius and moved towards the fireplace once more.

"Go to Bella," he laughed. "I'll see you at home, tomorrow?" Sirius questioned as he clasped my hand.

"Hopefully with my Fiancée by my side," I grinned. "Hogwarts."

Sirius disappeared from view and I landed firmly in Dumbledore's office once more. It was empty now, though and I was grateful that I wouldn't have to stop and make polite conversation again. I flashed up to the Defence classroom and walked into our quarters. Bella was reading on our bed and I resisted the temptation she presented every time I was near her.

"Hello little love," I crooned making her jump."

"Yeesh, Edward. Make some noise next time," she laughed as I scooped her up, peppering kisses along her slender neck.

"Sorry little one," I grinned. "But I had to get you out of that bed before I ravished you..."

"I don't see why... I always have time for that," she breathed. I groaned at her wanton voice and shook my head to clear the haze of perpetual lust that accompanied me whenever I was around my Bella.

"As tempting as that idea is," I growled, "I have plans for you tonight Miss Black, so put your best dress on."

She squealed in excitement and disappeared into our closet, throwing things around as she rushed to get ready. My hand rubbed my dormant heart as I listened to her sweet, innocent excitement. If tonight went well, I may actually get to _keep_ this woman... and this was the first step to our 'happily ever after'.


End file.
